"COVID-19 Treatment with Chopi Leaves"… Jungang Ocean Files Patent with Mekox Curemed

Bio Industry Announces Active Entry Plans

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Jungang Ocean has filed a patent with new drug development bio company Mecox Cure Med for a treatment of COVID-19 using Zanthoxylum leaf extract.

Jungang Ocean announced on the 15th that it jointly filed a patent with Mecox Cure Med for a "coronavirus treatment containing Zanthoxylum leaf extract as an active ingredient."

The main substance of this coronavirus treatment, "Zanthoxylum extract (M002-A)," is the key component of a natural product-based anti-inflammatory and analgesic for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, which Mecox Cure Med has completed preclinical trials and is preparing for full clinical trials. It is a natural substance already proven safe and is known to have antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, their own experiments showed that it reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines, which are a major cause of death in coronavirus patients.

Mecox Cure Med plans to accelerate the development of coronavirus treatments through collaborations with domestic and international universities, research institutes, and companies. In March, they signed a research agreement with Catholic University for joint development of coronavirus treatments, and also agreed to jointly develop and research with Austrian company TubePharm. TubePharm, a new drug development specialist company led by Dr. Wolfgang Richter, a Stanford University alumnus, is cooperating with Mecox Cure Med in various fields including joint development of anticancer drugs.

Research results are already emerging. Recently, Mecox Cure Med revealed through joint research with Catholic University that the rheumatoid arthritis treatment component significantly improves cytokine inflammatory responses.

Meanwhile, Jungang Ocean plans to actively enter the bio business following this joint patent. At the shareholders' meeting scheduled for the 1st of next month, they will resolve to add business objectives such as manufacturing and sales of pharmaceuticals, reagents, and basic materials, pharmaceutical repackaging and distribution, and appoint Dr. Ipigu, Medical Director of Mecox Cure Med, as an outside director to strengthen the bio business foundation.

A Jungang Ocean official said, "Through continuous research and development, it has been revealed that Zanthoxylum extract is effective against various viruses," adding, "Starting with this patent application, we will fully enter the bio business and achieve company growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.